btm24 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I was thinking about getting a Steering Box Brace, but will it really help? Or is it not really worth it? Thanks for any thoughts Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroader461 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 helped mine out a ton....bigger wheels and a heavy steering kit put a lot of stress on the box/frame....my stiffener helped with all of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I just tied the steering box into my bumper mounts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64 Cheyenne Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Cheap insurance, if you run bigger tires, and run off-road a lot. Way cheaper easier than fixing busted cracked frame in the steering box mounting area. I aint doing it on the Chief cause I'm only running 31s, spend most time on the street, but the 87 is getting 33s and all the goodies. It will definitely get more beef there, whether from a brace or a beefy bumper that is tied in to steering box bolts :dunno: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche12 Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I'm in same boat with you, i don't know if i need get steering box brace, btw my mj is lifted 6" with 35" tires and will see offroading someday so I'm think that i should get brace too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'm in same boat with you, i don't know if i need get steering box brace, btw my mj is lifted 6" with 35" tires and will see offroading someday so I'm think that i should get brace too. Just the 35" tires is enough reason for it even if it never went offroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Is this something that would help out even with the Unibody bumper tie-ins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW86 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Is this something that would help out even with the Unibody bumper tie-ins? i think the tie-ins are basicly the same thing as a brace. not only does it hold the bumper better/make the front end stouter but I'm thinking ups the strength on the steering box/frame connection as well. made me feel a hell of a lot better when i bolted in those tie-ins i got with my JCR bumper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroader461 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 i have both....the MORE brace on the inside of the box and my HD bumper has steering box tie ins on the outside...so my frame/steering box is sandwiched from both sides! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Well it looks like from what Wade and a few others have told me I should be looking into reinforcing the steering box mounts (which can be done with my front bumper mounts) and getting a steering box spacer be for a brace. Wade gave me a good pic of the spacer here: http://www.jcroffroad.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/SteeringBoxSpacerCompare.jpg And of a reinforced mount here http://http://www.c-rok.com/ff.html So I think I'm going to do that. Thanks for the help again guys! Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'm in the middle of developing a set of plates that will serve a dual purpose - frame reinforcement around the steering box and front tow recovery points. It kind of combines the idea of the C-ROK plate and $500MJ's front tow brackets. It would be made from either 3/16" or 1/4" steel plate. There would be a similar plate on the passenger side and a piece of square box tube welded between both plates and I'm looking into the idea of mounting a receiver hitch behind the license plate and using a YJ-style spring-loaded flip down to hide the receiver. Only picture I have so far. I ran out of material and haven't been able to get to my local metal supplier to get more to finish the prototyping. Working a 9-5 is no fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comanche12 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 thats true 35" is good enough to need brace so steering box brace will be on my list! :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'm in the middle of developing a set of plates that will serve a dual purpose - frame reinforcement around the steering box and front tow recovery points. It kind of combines the idea of the C-ROK plate and $500MJ's front tow brackets. It would be made from either 3/16" or 1/4" steel plate. There would be a similar plate on the passenger side and a piece of square box tube welded between both plates and I'm looking into the idea of mounting a receiver hitch behind the license plate and using a YJ-style spring-loaded flip down to hide the receiver. Only picture I have so far. I ran out of material and haven't been able to get to my local metal supplier to get more to finish the prototyping. Working a 9-5 is no fun. You should extend them back to that next sleeved hole,you have them on both sides and they will make your recovery points a lot stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 You should extend them back to that next sleeved hole,you have them on both sides and they will make your recovery points a lot stronger. Didn't have a piece of 1/4" plate long enough for it so I omitted that hole for now. I have a design that incorporates it and once I can get some more 1/4" plate, I'll throw it on there. I've done Finite Element calculations on the plate with and without that additional hole and the difference in strength isn't as significant as you might think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I wouldn't expect a huge strength gain on the drivers side by having the other bolt,I think the major gains will be on the passenger side since its the only real mounting point on that side and being sleeved has to make a big gain in strength as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I wouldn't expect a huge strength gain on the drivers side by having the other bolt,I think the major gains will be on the passenger side since its the only real mounting point on that side and being sleeved has to make a big gain in strength as well. My passenger side mounts require that two new holes be drilled in the frame and sleeved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I wouldn't think that would be neccesary,the holes that are there should be more then adequate. But adding more can't hurt :wrench: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrawombat Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I wouldn't think that would be neccesary,the holes that are there should be more then adequate. But adding more can't hurt :wrench: It became more of a matter of saving material. Stretching a 1/4" plate all the way back to that lone, threaded bolt hole on the passenger side seemed wasteful to me. Not so bad on the drivers side since you can tie it into the steering box for extra reinforcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnkyboy Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 I think that's why you see a lot of people do this I had the metal so I went all the way back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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